Way Down We Go
by Snowbro
Summary: Life was not fair, especially when you were deemed a greaser just for being born to a certain side of the town. In Tulsa, Lorraine Carter could swear to that statement. As she faces all the hardships that life has to offer she also tries to better her friend's and brother's lives, but nothing ever stays good on the East side. Not one thing.
1. Notion

In each and every classroom, Lorraine Carter could be found at the back slacking off and blowing bubbles with her bubble gum, her school alternative to smoking. History class always put her into a zombie-like trance, especially with Mr. Smith. She picked at her hang nails trying to pass the time.

This class didn't affect her like that until about a month ago when Sodapop dropped out to get a job and help support his family. She understood his reasoning, but his entertaining personality added some spice to the otherwise flavourless class. She had another friend, Steve, in the class but he didn't provide any distractions.

As Mr. Smith drawled on about some other country's issues, she began to doodle small flowers around her notes, her long blond hair brushing across her page as she did so. She glanced up checking the clock at the front of the classroom. Sighing, she decided she could put her books away knowing class would be over soon and she could head home.

The bell rang loudly, and she grabbed her bag and approached Steve who was a few seats ahead of her. He took his time packing everything up.

"If you were going any slower I swear you'd be going in reverse," she said to him as he finally finished packing his supplies.

"I just thought you'd like to stay a lil' longer, really absorb everything we just learned," he responded easily. Steve was a smart ass.

"You know what I think? I think you're full of shit and just like torturing me," she responded while laughing.

"Course I do, Lor. Can't let my baby sister get through easy," he said swinging an arm around her shoulders, squeezing her tight. She rolled her eyes and shoved his arm off of her jean jacket.

"I'm older than you, you know that, right?" she asked.

They were lucky enough to share a locker section, which made their lockers the meeting spot for their other friends before heading to lunch and going home. They had to walk in groups or they'd be at risk for being jumped. They were what was known as greasers, the people from the bad side of town; the East side. They stole, smoked cigarettes, had fun in any way they could, and used a little too much grease in their hair. The Socials (or Socs) were from the West side. They had the best of everything; they had cars bought for them by their daddies, they played football, and most importantly they had the respect of authority. According to teachers and police, they could do no wrong. It was an injustice.

Their high school, Will Rogers, was found on the West side, which meant greasers had to go out of their territory for school, putting them at risk. The Socs outnumbered them, and they often found themselves being ganged up on in school. She only had three of her gang members at school with her, but a greaser was a greaser, and they'd help their kind in any circumstance. Her group was all in the same grade, which made it pretty easy to buddy up and find each other.

Steve and Lorraine strode to their lockers to pickup some books before going home. As Lorraine placed the last book in her bag, a fist banged against the locker next to hers. She tried to conceal the surprise she felt but she jerked away from the fist and her heart rate had sped up.

"There they are, how was history, ya rascals?" Two-Bit asked giving Lorraine a cheeky grin.

"Was that really necessary?" She responded with a heavy glare.

"Nah, just like making you squirm is'all. Now, how was history?"

"Remarkable, as always. What 'bout culinary class?"

"Baked a nice chocolate cake t'day, woulda made Darry proud. 'Cept all the eggshells, mind you, but if you don't see the bright white, you could mistake the crunch for a nut, and I think that's pretty special."

Her face scrunched up at the thought of it. She had eaten his food before, and it was never a pleasant experience. They both chuckled at her reaction.

"We bummin' a ride from you, Steve?" he asked.

"Lorraine ain't got a car, you ain't got a car, so it's gotta be me," he answered giving Two-Bit a shove.

"Johnny leave early t'day?" she asked cocking her head at Two-Bit. They started to head towards the parking lot as she looked around.

"Yup, he took an extra long lunch. Didn't wanna be bothered with the last two periods. Lucky sonofagun." Two-Bit answered.

"Can y'all take me home today? I'll see if I can swing by later," Lorraine added.

"Sure thing, Lori," Steve agreed, roughing up her blonde hair. Their homes were all near each other, so getting around from house to house was pretty easy. She spent most of her time with the gang, and when she did go home it was mostly just to make sure her brother was okay. Lor used to love being home until her mother started dating Dan Chapman. Him moving in had destroyed her one safe place. No greaser had a perfect life, and it seemed like they all struggled with something.

Lor tried to keep her home life and her friend life separate. She didn't believe they needed to know every aspect of her life- she was very secretive. They knew enough about her that she wasn't a stranger, but kept them at a distance. They knew her mother was very young and worked at a diner in town, the Dingo, that her mother smoked a lot of weed, that she had an eleven-year-old brother named Anthony, and that she had a step-father who could leave her in pretty rough shape sometimes.

Dan and her mother, Lizzy, were very affectionate people and were constantly all over each other. Lor tried to distract her brother when they were like that, but he was at a curious age, and she eventually had to talk to him about the birds and the bees. Dan really liked sex, even when Lizzy was out of the house, and that left Lorraine. She was 14 the first time it happened, and she didn't have the heart to alert her mother.

That was the first day she didn't come back to her house at night. She ran out as soon as it was over and laid in an empty lot a couple blocks away from her house. She watched cloud after cloud pass by, trying harder and harder to push everything out her mind. She became rather good at not thinking or feeling.

Loud yelling interrupted her thoughts and made her sit up in her spot. The screaming was coming from a house directly across from the lot in an old house that was missing most of its bleak white paint. The brown grass surrounding the house added to the overall unpleasant atmosphere. Lorraine sat a bit straighter hugging her knees while trying to figure out what was going on in the house. Her curiousness was answered when a boy walked out who looked around her age. He seemed to be walking towards the lot but didn't notice that it was currently occupied. As he got closer she got a better look at him. He had black hair that settled nicely against his tan skin, and large brown eyes that seemed to have a certain sadness to them. It probably didn't help that he had a black eye forming around one of them. He came to holt directly in front of her. They made eye contact and said nothing for many seconds.

"That's my spot, this is my place," he said to her rather bravely considering how shaken he looked. Lorraine cocked her head and looked at him.

"I was thinking maybe you could share, then," she responded coolly. "Are you okay? You seem a lil' shaken from that."

"I'm fine, I don't need anybody to look out for me," he answered. She kept a serious face and tried to analyze him. He was lying.

"We all need somebody to look out for us, or else we'll all go mad." He hesitated before deciding it was okay to sit next to her. He pulled out a cigarette and offered her one which solidified their new friendship.

Lorraine strongly believed that meeting Johnny Cade was the best thing that ever happened to her. She finally met someone who had issues like her own, and he introduced her to the gang she was now apart of. He was constantly beat and constantly put down, but he somehow managed to pull through and still be happy. She wished that she could have turned out like Johnny, but she craved chaos like a plant craves the sun.

Any drive that had Two-Bit tagging along left Lorraine feeling both excited and horrified. He had a way of making anybody laugh, but his main goal was to distract the driver as much as he could by any means possible.

"Steve, I've got a question for you. Very serious, very important," Two-Bit started staring at him intensely.

"What would that be?"

"If you had to bag Jeanette Kean or Linda Taylors who would it be?"

"You think I'd wanna lay either of those Socs? You're gonna make me sick, Two," Steve said.

"C'mon, don't be like that! There's no wrong choice here."

"Fine! Jeanette Kean, she has pretty big hooters and is a cheerleader, she's gotta be flexible."

"Really? Jeannie? You're a sick man Stevie, a sick man!" Two-Bit hollered while laughing and slapping Steve on the back making him swerve the car. Lorraine shook her head while clutching the side of the car trying to stay upright.

"What about you Miss Lorraine? Jeannie or Linda?" Two-Bit asked while wagging his eyebrows up and down at her.

"Stevie was definitely right, Jeannie was the right choice. She's batshit crazy, mind you, which could always become an inconvenience later on. But for a lay? I hear she's real good," Lorraine answered honestly. She had heard that from a Soc by the name of Tom Watson who found himself with Lorraine as company one night at a party. It didn't end well once he started comparing her to the other girls he managed to bed.

"There it is! What Lor says, goes. Now will you sit still and stop distracting me for the rest of the fuckin' ride?" Steve asked.

Two-bit looked Lorraine directly in the eyes and made a comment about Steve's panties being in a twist causing another fight to breakout and making her laugh. It was simple moments like these that perked her up.

In no time, they arrived at her house. She grabbed her backpack and hopped out of the car. Two-bit rolled down his window and called out to her.

"Now you be safe Lori, you hear me?" Two-bit hollered at her.

"I'm a big girl Two-bit, I can handle anything," she answered. She lied often.

As the car drove away, Lorraine found herself looking at her house. It had a metal fence around it making it look even less approachable. It had two stories and was painted an ugly baby blue that was starting to have more brown on it than blue. One of the windows was smashed last year and there was still a piece of wood in the place of glass. There were beer cans and cigarette buds laying in her yard, a trademark to the Carter household. The car in the driveway meant her mom hadn't left for work yet and Dan had returned from his job. There was a rickety, black bicycle chained to deck which meant her brother was home too.

She eventually started to walk towards her front door. She never knew what she would be walking in on when she came into her house. Her mother was extremely easy going but she didn't really care all that much about her children. Dan was the real issue. There were times where he was bearable, where his presence was almost wanted. Lizzy usually worked during the night time, so they were left with Dan. Most nights he would make them a basic supper, or pick up something that Lorraine could make. He, like most men on this side of town, had a strong relationship with the bottle. It was possible for her to come home at 4 pm to find him boozed up and ready for anything.

As she walked in the front doors there was the unmistakeable smell of grass. Her mother was an avid smoker and was quickly rolling along with the hippy movement. She saw the lit joint on the ashtray in the kitchen and picked it up. She held the joint to her lips and inhaled deeply. She closed her eyes and held the smoke in her lungs for a few seconds before exhaling it out. She repeated this until it was nearly finished, and she could feel herself easing up.

She walked to the living room and there was still no sign of her family. As she got closer to the stairs she saw a pair of pants and a shirt laying on the stairwell. She could then make out the sound of her mother and stepfather going at it upstairs. She now understood why her mom left a perfectly good joint out.

She continued her walk through the house until she reached her brother's room. His door was shut, so she knocked on it a few times to no response.

"Anthony? Come on, let me in, I know you're there."

"Go away, Lori," he responded.

"If you let me in I'll get you a pack of cigarettes." She knew that could have an extreme influence on him- it was hard to get your hands on a whole pack when you're 13. She smirked when she heard him undoing the lock. He opened the door just a crack and peeked his eye through.

"What do you want, Lor?" he asked with a frown.

"Just to see the cutest little brother in the whole world!" she answered pushing his door open further to allow herself in. She knew that he hated home and always took it upon herself to try and cheer him up in these situations.

"Aw, don't call me cute! I don't wanna be cute, I wanna be tuff!" She sat down on his bed and looked at him. He had started to grease back his honey blonde hair and he was growing it out. He had the same dark brown eyes as her which made them look intense. He was wearing his knock of Levi's and a white shirt- he was becoming your average greaser, and he sure did look tuff. As tuff as an 13-year-old can look, at least.

"I'll be honest with you kid, you're looking pretty tuff. You ain't got a leather jacket though, do you?" she asked him. She thought a little as he shook his head no.

"I ain't got the money for one but I'll see if the gang has any old ones, or we'll use our five-finger discount," she said to him with a nice smile; she knew he was an easy kid to bribe. At 13, all he wanted to do was fit in with the older guys.

"You really mean that, Lor?" he asked with wide eyes.

"Sure kid, anythin' for you."

"Can I get a switchblade then?" he asked eagerly.

"Absolutely not."

"But you just said-"

"Right, bad word choice. I'll get you anythin' that won't hurt nobody. I'll get you one when you need one though, I promise you that."

"When I need one?" he asked. She sighed heavily. He wanted so badly to be like the older boys but didn't know what it really meant to be a greaser yet, not fully. He knew that they didn't have a lot of money and he knew that being from their side of town made them poor. He knew that greasers used a lot of hair grease, smoked a lot, drank a lot, and had fun while doing it all. The one thing he didn't understand was that because all of those things, they were inferior to others who weren't like them. They weren't even the rug people walk all over, they were the dirt swept under it that nobody wanted.

"You know about the Socs, Tony. The rich kids, they drive around in their fancy cars and such. And you know how they don't like greasers. Sometimes, for fun, they'll try and spook ya or sometimes worse. If you ever have a close run in with a Soc that could leave ya hurt, I'll get you a switchblade and I'll teach ya how to use it."

"You swear on your life?" he asked holding his pinky out to her. She stood up from her spot on the bed and reached her pinky out to join his.

"Swear on my life."


	2. I Wish I Was

She stayed in her brother's room a little longer trying to get him to work on his homework. She knew he was slacking in school and didn't want him to live in Two-bit's footsteps of repeating years. He managed to get through a few math questions before kicking Lorraine out. She gladly complied.

The kitchen was very tiny and only fit one person at any given time, making it her favourite spot in the house other than her room. Looking in the fridge, her selection for supper was not grand by any means. They had eggs, bread, cheese and butter. She knew for a fact that they had macaroni noodles in the cupboard, so she went with macaroni and cheese.

She had just put the food into the oven when she heard movement coming from the stairs. Her nails dug into the palms of her hand as she prepared for their presence.

"Lori, sweetie, when did you get home?" Her mother asked in her airy voice. Lorraine turned around to look at her. Her skin was flushed, blonde hair disheveled and her neck had extremely prominent bruising. Her Lorraine bit her lip, a bad habit of hers, and glared at the two people in front of her.

"An hour ago."

"Mhm, and would you mind telling me where the joint we left out went?" Dan asked with a heavy glare. This was always the hardest part for her: tell the truth or lie?

"I smoked in when I came in, it was still lit and y'all were upstairs fucking the bejesus out of each other and I wasn' gonna let it go to waste," she answered truthfully.

"Lil' girls shouldn't be smokin' heavy stuff," he responded.

"Monkey see, monkey do, I guess." He took a few steps forward and pushed her against a wall, towering over her. She wasn't short by any means, but Dan was a giant compared to most people. Her expression only changed slightly, her eyes glazing over. To most, this wouldn't be noticeable.

"I work hard for my money, lil' girl, and I will not have you smokin' away my hard labour. That grass was your mother's, from me! Now apologize." She mumbled something underneath her breath. "Apologize! Now!" he hollered.

With empty eyes she looked towards her tiny mother. "I'm sorry, mama."

"It's perfectly okay, darling. I love to share really," her mother said smiling at her. Dan was furious now.

"You girls will not gang up on me, not in my house." Lorraine could feel herself getting angrier and her hands were clenched tightly. She wanted to hit him, something she knew would be a losing battle. Closing her eyes, she spoke to her mother.

"Supper is in the oven, take it out in another 20 minutes." With that, she turned around and headed out the door.

Leaving her house was almost always the best idea. She knew that if she stayed it would be bad for her mother, and while she wasn't a great mother Lori wanted the best for her.

She stood on her lawn for a few minutes to make sure she didn't hear any yelling from her stepfather. The house remained silent, and it was safe for her to leave them.

Lorraine wondered the east side aimlessly, no true destination in mind. Making Two-bit and Steve drop her off at her house and returning only an hour after could cause worry that she didn't want. Besides, Tulsa's June weather beat all others.

Finally, she found herself in front of Fawcett Park, a playground she used to come to as a kid. She still came here often, mostly for hanging out and thinking. Watching the children play carelessly seemed to calm her. She placed her jean jacket onto the ground and sat on it, watching a young boy splash his sister with water in the freshly filled pool. She could distantly remember doing the same with her brother years ago. Their father used to take them, and while they played he did business. That's partially why he left town; to expand. She only knew as much as the letters she got, but she knew that it was drug related. Him leaving was for the best, she had decided years ago. He wasn't suited to be a father.

Soon the families started to leave the park, most likely for supper she realized. Her stomach growled at the thought of food and her hand instinctively went straight to her stomach. She could go to the Cutis' house; they would never turn away a hungry stomach. While they would feed her, she felt tremendous guilt taking their food considering how hard they work.

Lost in thought and the grass finally starting to rest her brain, she barely her name being called.

"Lori?" She looked up calmly and smiled at the boy standing in front of her.

"That is you, Lori! Whatcha sittin' by your lonesome for?" Sodapop asked, standing in front of her

"Needed some fresh air, good for the noggin'. You just leaving work now?" she asked in return, eyeing his DX uniform. He generally got off at 4:30, but it had to be well past five now.

"Yeah, decided to work a little longer today, you know how it can be," he answered sheepishly. "Come join me for the walk home, I'd love the company and you can stay for supper."

"I already ate," she responded quickly. "I'll come over though, I love the Curtis company," she said smiling widely at him.

He laughed at her and put his arm around her shoulder, turning towards his house. "You're a real suckup sometimes, kid."

"Y'all call me kid a lot considering I'm older than must of ya's."

"But I'm smarter than you, which makes you a kid compared to me." She looked up at him and smiled.

"You ain't wiser than me, that's some serious bull," she scoffed.

"Well, okay. But I am taller! That's the God honest truth."

"Okay, Soda. Whatever you say."

They chatted endlessly about school and work, catching up on each other's lives. It was a lot harder now that they weren't in school together. It seemed like they always had something to catch up on. He felt comfortable talking to her about everything he was dealing with. He was the happiest person on the planet, but he still felt sad, angry, and guilty like everyone else.

They took turns kicking a large rock across the street, passing a cigarette along while keeping conversation.

"Ponyboy's nightmares have been getting worse, Darry had to take him to a doctor. Said he's got too much energy, that his brain's working too much or something. Darry's trying to make him busy every second of the day so he'll sleep fine, but Pony hates it. So he's got me sleeping with Pony at night to make him feel safer."

"I didn't know it was getting' that bad, Soda. Pony's still spooked from losing Mom and Dad?" She asked. Everyone called them Mom and Dad. They were as good as to most people.

"Yeah, I think he's scared of losin' us at some point too, all of us. He'd heard death stories from Dally, but it was never real til' just now."

"Do you mind sleepin' in his bed?"

"Yes and no. He's my kid brother, I'd do anything for him, you know that feeling Lori. But I lost my freedom a lil'." She understood that. Ponyboy could not find a single flaw in Soda, he was his idol. Because of that Soda tried hiding the rougher patches of his life. Pony didn't know how often Soda drank, or smoked cigarettes or grass. He didn't know about him going out to gamble or staying at Buck's with a real loose greasy girl.

"Darry's not the only one who had to grow up real quick, I see. You're the protector, he's the provider."

"Yeah. It sucks sometimes, but what can ya do?"

"You're a good brother, Sodapop. Kind as can be. And you hide yourself real good for him. Wish I could be like that," Lori said, thinking about all the things her brother has seen.

She kicked the rock a little harder watching it fall into a sewage drain. She stared ahead slightly dazed while Soda stared at her.

"Shoot, Lori, you're doin' a fine job! We can't all be as kind as me,"

"Oh, eat it," she said while rolling her eyes. "I wish our brothers would have become friends, he needs someone like Ponyboy in his life."

"They're young, there's time."

With the Cutis house in sight, they walked in silence the rest of the way. The best thing about Soda was that his company, whether silent or loud, was never uncomfortable. His radiant personality comforted everyone.

They walked through the front door and Soda yelled out for 'Superman', a common nickname they used for Darry. She never fell on board with that.

Darry was sitting on the couch looking stiff as a board while he watched the news. Instinctively she walked to the stove where food was cooking. She noticed the vegetables getting stuck in the pain. She added more butter to them and some salt and pepper. She opened the oven door and winced as she smelled the cooking chicken. It was drier than the desert.

She took the chicken out and put butter on it, making sure to make small holes at the top so that it would fall into place. After lowering the temperature by 50 degrees, she continued by adding some spices onto the pale chicken.

"You're doing it again," a low voice said behind her. She turned and looked up at Darry. His dark hair lost its hold after working in the blazing sun all day. Blue-black bags that have been progressing for months stood out underneath his hard-green eyes. His glare held her stare. He held himself with pride in front of her, offended that she added to his cooking.

"I've been cookin' a lot longer, I just know some tricks that help make it better," she answered dully.

"Nobody complains about my cooking 'cept Ponyboy," he retaliated.

"And you think the thirteen year old is the least honest?" She asked while he pushed her to the side.

"Go home lil' girl if you're just here to tell me how to run my house." She smirked. Darry was so easy to piss off, it was like waving meat in front of a dog. She opened her mouth to answer when Soda picked her up and moved her away from Darry.

"I'd sooner poke a full grown bear, Lori," he whispered into her ear as he put her down. She frowned, but knew he was right. Soda had a way with words and could always get across to Darry, something Lori did not possess.

"C'mon Darry, she's right you know. It's her job to cook, her advice ain't hurtful." She flinched at his words. _It's her job to cook_ rang in her ears. It wasn't wrong, that's what she was raised to be. A housewife, even her stepfather would criticize her for her efforts in school. She wanted to go to college, but according to him, boys didn't like smart and educated women.

She bit her lip uncomfortably, knowing that despite her desires, she would never be able to go to college. She would become a housewife or have a lousy job like her mom and Two-bit's mom did.

"I'd be happy to give you lessons," she stated trying to hide her discomfort. She was answered with a glare from Darry which made her laugh low in her throat.

"Soda, go get Ponyboy for supper," Darry said, then turned towards Lori. "You gonna eat too?" He asked. She held her stomach instinctively. All she had eaten that day was a slice of toast for breakfast, but she felt so uncomfortable eating their food. She was calculating in her head what she may be able to have that wouldn't cost them that much. Right then, her stomach released a loud growl. Darry raised his eyebrow at her.

"Sit down, I'll get you a spot made up." She blushed and listened to him, sitting at their table.

"Hey, Lori!" Ponyboy said as he walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, Pone. How's it going?" She asked, smiling at him. She always loved having Ponyboy around. His innocence was something she appreciated; he was in no hurry to grow up, no matter what people he got caught up with. Her eyes landed on an angry red spot on his finger.

"You get into a chicken fight?" She asked quietly. He rubbed his hand in response and nodded, making sure Darry wasn't looking.

"Boy-howdy, if you didn't win that battle the other guy must still be on fire! Keep on, kid," she said giving him a thumb up.

"Thought you already ate," Soda stated to her as he came out of the bathroom.

"How could I turn away Darry's cooking?" She lied to him.

Dinner was unusually quiet, Darry and Ponyboy especially. Soda tried to keep up conversation, but his two brothers brought out the worst in each other. Lori ate some of her food but couldn't really finish it. She passed her plate to Ponyboy who gladly finished up.


	3. Settin' the Woods on Fire

The night picked up after supper when other members of the gang arrived. The radio was on full blast and they went from dancing around the living room, to playing poker, to showing off their strength in games of uncle. Lori didn't participate in those as much. The guys almost always let her choose the music, and the always regretted it. She would change it to the local country station and let the Hank Williams and Johnny Cash songs loom over the household.

She loved the country music and it always made her feel like a happier person. Maybe that's why she loved being at Buck's.

"You're my gal, and I'm your feller. Dress up in your top of yeller! I'll look swell, but you'll look sweller, settin' the woods on fire!" Lori sang along while dancing in their living room, Soda and Two-bit along her side. Johnny sat with Ponyboy and Dally at the table playing a game of cards. Steve didn't come around, which was comforting. It meant a good night at home. Darry was resting on a couch, sore from his day job of roofing. Darry was never her biggest fan, and while she loved to get under his skin she had an abundance of respect for him and what he does.

She could feel the joint wearing off as she danced with her friends, its purpose disintegrating. Her friends provided comfort, safety, and happiness.

They all shook their heads but tolerated her music choice. Sometimes she would go to the socy radio station which was infested with the Beetles currently; that's when they would usually try and fight her. They mostly just grabbed her around the waist and lifter her over their head, not that it was hard, she was 100 pounds soaking wet.

"Damn, Lori, you really are a greasy hick, aren't ya?" Two-bit shouted after the song finished up and decided to spin around in the house, waiting for another song to play.

"Aw, Hank William's ain't so bad. It's real catchy music," she answered sitting down in their old recliner. Another Hank Williams song started up and she smiled at the television, humming quietly.

The night stayed consistent, them dancing (and sometimes wrestling) to whatever music Lori would put on, Darry staying still but vocally active, and Johnny and Ponyboy keeping up with their card games.

Eventually enough time had passed that it grew dark outside.

"Anybody staying the night?" Darry asked as he stood and stretched. In his exhausted state it was easy to see the boyish side to him that they didn't really see too often. He had a hopeless look in his usually dark and determined eyes. It was weighing him down.

Nobody responded, but Darry always left the door unlocked in case people needed a place to be in the middle of the night. An array of greasers from their friend group to outside gangs like the Shepards and Brumley. Pretty much everybody had spent a night hiding from the police or their families here; it was common knowledge.

They said their goodbyes to the Curtis family, and then parted their ways outside. Two-bit and Steve heading one way, Lorraine, Johnny and Dally the other way.

"How have things been, Johnnycakes?" Dally asked wrapping his arm around his shoulder tightly. Johnny and Dally had an extremely close bond, there was something between them that Lorraine just couldn't understand. Dally took to his soft-spoken nature and always acted as an older brother to him. They were two completely opposite people, but some how they were family.

"They've been okay, Dal. The Cades can't bug me when I'm in school, and I've been staying out most nights. It's been a while," Johnny answered.

"Good, good. Cuz you know I can deck them if you need me to or bluff a heater. They have it coming, the bastards," Dally started. He pulled out a pack of Marlboro cigarettes, popped one out, and flicked open his zippo lighter. He took a deep inhale and blew the smoke up to sky.

Ponyboy confided in Lori once admitting he liked to watch Dally, there was something about him that was so different and captivating from other greasers. She had never really noticed before until he mentioned it. The easiest way to describe him was cool, he did everything with such tremendous effortlessness that made people marvel at him. Ponyboy showed her the pictures he drew of Dally, especially when he was angry. The fiery blaze his eyes held when he was upset was something out of this world.

Dallas passed the cigarette along to Johnny and he casually mimicked Dallas, blowing his smoke up into the sky, an imitation game.

"How are things for you, Lori?" Johnny asked her while passing the cigarette over. She took a long drag and waited a few seconds to answer.

"Oh, they're alright. Tony's becoming a real smart mouth, but I reckon that's cuz he's been spending so much time with Two-bit," she answered truthfully. "Either of you got an old leather jacket he could have? He's been itchin' for one real bad the last little while."

They both mumbled no and the silence resumed. Finally, they reached her and Johnny's street that had the empty lot where they met.

"Our stop," Johnny said quietly.

"Yeah, our stop," Lori answered. "Dallas, where do you actually live? I don't think you've ever told any of us tha'."

He gave her a quizzical look. "At a room in Buck's, you know that."

"I mean your house, where you and your daddy moved to from New York?" She heard him scoff quietly.

"Yeah, nobody knows for a reason, lay off the stupid questions now," he answered, and there she saw it. The fiery eyes Ponyboy explained to her when Dally was angry, when he tried to block out any feeling that wasn't anger or joy. Even his joy was short lived.

"What the fuck are you staring at? Christ, Lori, go the fuck home already," he swore at her and she smiled. There it was.

"Yeah yeah yeah, I'm going. C'mon Johnnycakes. Night Dally," she responded. She grabbed Johnny's arm and started to drag him down her street. Dally flipped them off, muttered "goddamn broads" and kept walking.

"Have you been to his house before, Johnny?" Lori asked him once Dallas was out of range.

"Yeah, twice. But I really can't tell you where it is, Dally would snap my neck like a twig if he found out." She scoffed.

"He wouldn't touch you if you were on fire, Johnnycakes. How bad off is it?" She asked curiously.

He hesitated before answering, whether he was trying to find the right words for it or if he was deciding whether to lie or not Lorraine would never know.

"It was different. I ain't never seen a man that angry at the world, and it makes sense that he made Dally, you dig?" he asked. It did make sense, people like Dallas don't just happen, they're created. They're molded to become closed off and cold.

"He couldn't believe Dally brought someone there, said something about Molly being around…" Johnny trailed off.

She cocked her head at him. "Molly as in a girl, or molly like the drug?"

"Shoot, I don't know Lori. I don't know much about this druggin' ordeal."

"Holy shit, his daddy's dealing New Yorkers in Tulsa," she muttered to herself shaking her head.

"Please don't tell Dally I said anythin', okay?" Johnny pleaded. She wrapped her arm around his shoulder squeezing his other arm.

"I can pretend I know nothin', it's pretty easy," Lori responded smiling. "You sure you're good to go home?" she asked nodding towards his front door. The lights were all off in his house and you could see the faint glow of a TV through the window. He frowned at his house and gave a small 'yes'.

"Okay. Now I better see you tomorrow in school, savvy?" Lori said walking towards the empty lot.

"Sure, Lori. Goodnight," he said after her before heading towards his gate. She watched him walk into his house. No lights turned on and she assumed he was safely in his room.

On her walk home, her mind went to Dallas. Sometimes she wondered what his life was like back in New York. Trying to imagine Dallas as an innocent and fragile child seemed almost as impossible as imagining a dog with wings.

He had opened up to her a few times; only when it was past 3 am and he was high as heaven. Each time, they were laying in his bed, his head in her lap while she played with his long tow-colored hair. His voice was barely above a whisper, and Lorraine was afraid of breathing too loud in case she missed something he said.

The most haunting thing she learned was about his mother. Dallas had just gotten into a sloppy fight with Tim Sheppard over who knows what. In his intoxicated state, Dally lost almost as soon as it started. Lori managed to get him back to his room at Bucks and was able to wipe away some of the blood from his face, but Dally quickly batted her hands away. She lit up a joint, passed it to him and waited for it to take effect. He started to soften up and she could see him starting to get drowsy. She laid down in his bed as she watched the sun begin to peak over the horizon.

"I miss her sometimes," Dally muttered. Her head snapped over to where he was sitting on the bed. She sat up slowly and reached out to lightly touch his shoulder. "Who, Dal?"

"My mom. She really was something special, my bastard father didn't deserve her. She really loved me, you know? She had so much love," he trailed off. She took a good look at him in that moment, and with his eyes closed he almost seemed like a normal 16 year-old, other than the dried blood caked to his face.

"She back in New York?" she asked gently, scared of the answer. Dallas gave a breathy laugh, a sad smile etched upon his face.

"She's dead because of him. She cared about him, but he never cared about her, he's never cared 'bout nothin'. I think it's better that way though, what's the fuckin' point?" He asked while coughing. She didn't have an answer, she kind of agreed. What was the point? Whenever she cared, she got hurt somehow. It was no way to live.

"I was supposed to have a sister," was the last thing he had mumbled before he drifted off to sleep. The worst part about Dallas only occasionally opening up when faded was that he never had a memory of it after. So while she had bits and pieces of information, she would never be able to put the full puzzle together. He would never allow it.

She was now home, different thoughts occupying her mind. When she walked through the front door all she could see was a large haze of smoke. Shutting her eyes tightly she waved her hand in front of her face wildly trying to clear the air. Jailhouse rock was playing loudly, and she could just make out the sound of laughter.

"Hello," she spoke out hoping to get someone's attention.

"Lori!" She heard her mother's airy voice answer. "We weren't expectin' ya home, being past midnight and all." With the door open the smoke was finally starting to leave their kitchen area. Her eyes widened when she saw her younger brother with a pipe against his lips, his eyes plastered red.

"Tony, what the fuck do you think you're doing?" Lorraine asked walking over to him.

"I ain't never had grass before, momma said I was old enough to start learnin' some," he answered, his smile unbelievably notable.

"Go to bed, Tony. Now," Lorraine said trying to keep her composure. He frowned at her.

"Why? You smoke it, and besides, momma said it's good for ya." When Elizabeth was about to answer, Lorraine shushed her and turned back to Tony.

"Tony, for the love of God, go to bed or I will get Two-bit to hold you down while I shave your hair down to the stub."

"Fuck you," he answered before stomping off to his room.

"Was that necessary, honey? He's 15, that's around when you started smoking it. Besides, he was having a rough night," her mother said setting her joint down. She was 31 years old, but she somehow still looked in her early twenties. She had blonde hair like Lorraine's and kept it even longer. The only evidence of aging was the slight wrinkling around her eyes.

"He is not 15, he's 13! The kid's not even in fucking high school yet. You can't give him that shit, especially not on a school night," Lorraine answered trying to keep her composure. She really wasn't great at being an adult (considering she was still a teenager) but when it came to her brother she easily could step up to the plate.

Her mother's eyes scrunched together in confusion. "He's only 13?" She asked in a serious voice. Lorraine couldn't believe that question about her own son.

"Go the fuck to bed, and I don't wanna see you pullin' any more shit like this with him. You don't get to pretend yer a momma now, that's not how it works. If I see somethin' like that again I'll take my blade and skin you mouth to ass cheek, got it?" Tears started pooling in her mother's eyes, but she nodded her head slowly, turned around, and went to bed.

Lorraine felt slightly bad for making her mom cry, but she brushed it off quickly. She was mostly afraid because Dan was in bed and would notice Elizabeth coming in sobbing, and all fingers would point back to her. She rushed into her room and locked her door. Her hand was shaking slightly from the intensity of the night and she reached for a cigarette on her bedside table to try and steady herself.


End file.
